NORTHERN ITALIAN LIGHT AND SUMPTUOUS STRING BEANS

INGREDIENTS:

DIRECTIONS:

» Drop trimmed beans into boiling water and cook 2-3 minutes. » Drain and toss with other ingredients, and serve hot or cold.

Note: If they sit very long before serving, the beans will gain a yellowish tint, but they're still delicious.

Recipe courtesy Rose Reilly Leonard

HOLIDAY SANGRIA

HOLIDAY SANGRIA

Makes 18 glasses

INGREDIENTS:

8 cups (64 fluid ounces) dry white wine

2 cups dry rosé

1 cups (64 ounces) pear juice or another white juice

1 cup passion fruit juice

2 tablespoons agave nectar

1 cup pear liqueur

2 clementines, sliced thin crosswise

1 small pear, diced

1 medium mango, diced

5 kumquats, sliced

½ cup of pomegranate juice (use seeds for garnish)

3 pieces star anise, leaving whole for visual effect

DIRECTIONS:

» Combine the wine, juice, and all of the fruit pieces in a large pitcher. » Mix well, cover and refrigerate overnight.

Recipe courtesy

Marilyn Schlossbach,

Langosta Lounge

EASY CRANBERRY COMPOTE

EASY CRANBERRY COMPOTE

Serves 8-12

INGREDIENTS:

3 pounds frozen

cranberries

3 oranges, segments chopped and zest grated

1 cup white sugar

½-1 cup brown sugar

2 cups water

1½ teaspoons vanilla extract

¾ teaspoon ground cinnamon

3 tablespoons

cornstarch

½ cup fresh orange juice

Salt and cayenne

pepper to taste

½ cup dried

cranberries

Fresh tarragon to taste

DIRECTIONS:

» Place first 7 ingredients in a stainless steel pot and bring to a boil; simmer for 10 minutes until cranberries start to break down (but don't allow the skins to completely fall off and curl up). » Dissolve cornstarch in orange juice and add to cranberries. Season to taste with the salt and cayenne pepper and add the dried cranberries and chopped fresh tarragon. » When completely cooled, keep in the refrigerator in covered plastic or a mason jar for up to 6 weeks.

Recipe courtesy Bruce Lefebvre, The Frog and the Peach

APPLE BREAD PUDDING

APPLE BREAD PUDDING

Serves 6-8

INGREDIENTS:

1 pint half-and-half

1 pint heavy cream

1 cup sugar

6 egg yolks

3-4 cups day old bread torn into bite-size pieces (challah works well)

2 apples, peeled, cored, and thinly sliced

1⁄8 teaspoon nutmeg

¼teaspoon cinnamon

Pinch of salt

½cup brown sugar

4 tablespoons butter

DIRECTIONS:

» Heat oven to 325
» degrees.» In a sauté pan, sauté apples, brown sugar, and butter until light brown and caramelized and set aside. » Whisk together egg yolks and sugar until combined. Add half-and-half and heavy cream to egg and sugar mixture and whisk in nutmeg, cinnamon, vanilla, salt, and apples. » Gently fold in bread so that the bread absorbs the custard but is still wet. Fill greased ramekins or your favorite casserole dish ¾ of the way with mixture and bake for 20 to 25 minutes or
» until firm.» Garnish with pieces of caramelized apple and serve with caramel sauce or whipped cream if
» desired.

Note: This dish can be made days in advance; simply reheat in the oven to take the chill off before serving.

Recipe courtesy of

Encore Catering

SAGE ACORN SQUASH SOUP

SAGE ACORN SQUASH SOUP

Makes 6-8 servings

INGREDIENTS:

3 whole acorn squash, approximately 8 cups when cooked

6 small shallots, 3 left whole and peeled and the remaining 3 diced

6 garlic cloves, peeled

3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

1 tablespoon salt

1 tablespoon pepper, freshly cracked, plus more for seasoning

2 tablespoons butter

4 cups chicken stock, low-sodium

¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper

1 teaspoon sage, dried

1 teaspoon marjoram

1 cup heavy cream

1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce

1⁄3 cup grated Parmesan

DIRECTIONS:

» Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Cut the squash in half on the equator and remove the seeds with a spoon. Cut a flat spot on each end so the squash will sit flat. Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil and arrange the squash, cut side up. » To three of the squash halves, add a peeled shallot, and to the other three add two garlic cloves on each. Drizzle with 2 tablespoons of olive oil and season with 1 tablespoon each of the salt and freshly cracked pepper.

» Roast in the hot oven until they're very tender and starting to caramelize and collapse, approximately 1 hour. Remove from oven and, when cool enough to handle, remove the squash from the skin with a tablespoon. Reserve the roasted shallots and garlic with the squash. This can be made ahead.» In a large Dutch oven, heat 1 tablespoon of the olive oil and 2 tablespoons of the butter over medium-high heat and when the butter is starting to foam, add the raw diced shallots and sauté until they're starting to caramelize, about 5-6 minutes.» Deglaze with ½ cup of the chicken stock. Reduce the heat to medium-low and add in the reserved squash, roasted shallots, and garlic and then the remaining chicken stock. » Stir to combine, then purée with a stick blender; the mixture will be very thick. Add in the cayenne and the herbs. Stir in the cream and Worcestershire sauce and heat slowly over medium-low heat.» When the mixture comes to a slow simmer, mix again with the stick blender and stir in ¼ cup of the Parmesan and turn heat to low. Serve with a freshly cracked black pepper and a light sprinkle of remaining Parmesan.

Recipe courtesy Rose Reilly Leonard

ADVERTISEMENT

ADVERTISEMENT

ADVERTISEMENT

Email this article

Recipes for Thanksgiving

Makes 6-8 servings

A link to this page will be included in your message.

Real Deals

Sales, coupons, circulars and more from your favorite Morris County area retailers.